Flat on his belly
in a sniper position, wearing a baseball cap and a flak jacket, a protester
aimed his semi-automatic rifle from the edge of an overpass and waited as a
crowd below stood its ground against U.S. federal agents in the Nevada desert. He was part of a
1,000-strong coalition of armed militia-men, cowboys on horseback, gun rights
activists and others who rallied to Cliven Bundy's Bunkerville ranch, about 80
miles northeast of Las Vegas, in a stand-off with about a dozen agents from the
federal Bureau of Land Management.
The rangers had
rounded up hundreds of Bundy's cattle, which had been grazing illegally on
federal lands for two decades. Bundy had refused to pay grazing fees, saying he
did not recognize the government's authority over the land, a view that
attracted vocal support from some right-wing groups. Citing public
safety, the BLM retreated, suspending its operation and even handing back
cattle it had already seized.
No shots were
fired during the stand-off, which Bundy's triumphant supporters swiftly dubbed
the "Battle of Bunkerville," but the government's decision to
withdraw in the face of armed resistance has alarmed some who worry that it has
set a dangerous precedent and emboldened militia groups......To Read More.....
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